M.C. Beaton's Writing Advice

Unlike Stephen King, who in On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft wrote at length about his own journey and approach to fiction, M.C. Beaton never wrote down explicit guidance for budding novelists who wanted to follow in her footsteps. But she did talk often to friends and family informally about the subject, and below is a collection of the advice she gave most often.

Read Widely

You cannot write what you do not read. Amateur writers will sometimes stop reading in their chosen genre at a certain point - perhaps to avoid unconscious imitation in their own writing. But it is impossible to ensure that your work is original if you haven't read what has already been produced. Think that having a priest as a detective would be an interesting twist? Then make sure you've read the Father Dowling mystery series by Ralph McInerny. Think that no one could have come up with a mystery from the point of view of a dog helping to solve crimes? Think again! There are mysteries that do just that. But in addition to avoiding unoriginality, reading within your chosen genre will help you to recognise the elements that readers expect and love.

Most of all, reading widely will introduce you to concepts and characters outside of your preferred genre; new ways of storytelling that will enrich the tales that you try to bring to life.

Write What You Know

It is often said that you should write what you know, but what does this mean? There is obviously lot of confusion on this subject as shown by the number of films about a screenwriter with writer's block. M.C. Beaton's view was that when authors write what they know - this could be about the places they have lived, their work and hobbies, or particular life experiences such as divorce or parenthood - their writing will be rich with the kind of detail that draws readers in and breathes life into their imaginary world. When John Grisham took up writing, his stories were filled with all of the facts from his previous life as a Southern lawyer - detail that others would not know about; Patricia Cornwell worked at the office of Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia for six years, and what she saw there informed the widely-praised forensic scenes in her Kay Scarpetta novels; Donna Tartt's first novel The Secret History was inspired by her time studying classics at Bennington College, showing that even a seemingly everyday experience such as attending university can provide fuel for a mystery.

But what if your life feels to mundane and ordinary to provide material for your writing? Much of the richness of M.C. Beaton's writing comes from the small details - the particular turns of phrase, comedic situations and descriptions of everyday experiences. Many of these things came out of her own everyday experiences, and stories she heard from others in her wide circle of friends and acquaintances. If you keep your eyes and ears open, you will begin to see and hear things which, when placed in your writing, will lend authenticity to your words.

Don't Write Down

When M.C. Beaton had become successful as an author of Regency and Edwardian romances, many publishers looked to try to cash in on the boom in historical romances. They would tell established writers struggling to sell their next book to try writing Regencies. The results were often dreadful; as well as a lack of the necessary knowledge of costume and speech, the writers simply weren't invested in the books they were writing - they saw writing a light romance novel as beneath them. In the end, readers will be able to tell when the author thinks they are writing down to them, and they will not like it. Write to the best of your ability, and choose a category or genre that suits you.

Remember, it is a Business

M.C. Beaton trained as a journalist long before she took up writing, and so she instinctively knew how to write to a brief, on time, and for a particular audience. This is a skill only built up over time by writing under pressure. In contrast, first time novelists often have little experience of writing fiction outside of school and creative writing classes. Writing novels that sell requires a separate set of skills from creative writing itself, and often these are neglected in the race to complete a book.

Authors need to ask themselves: is there already an audience for the type of book I am writing? Are readers going to find enough of the genre conventions they expect? Is there enough that is different to make my work interesting? Is it the right length? (as longer books are more expensive to print, and so mean more of an investment in an unknown writer)

In addition, all publishers these days expect writers to be actively trying to build an audience, and so will expect to see you managing social media accounts, maintaining a blog, and in general trying to engage with the readers who you hope will eventually read your book. This is something that all authors can start doing right now, even as a reader - engage with other readers and find out what they are are reading, what they like and why.